Gas fueled cigar lighter



Oct. 16, 1951 FLAMM 2,571,435

GAS FUELED CIGAR LIGHTER Filed June 11, 1949 2 Sheeis-Sheet 1 INVENTOR.ALEXANDER L.FL AMM.

ATTORNEYS.

Oct. 16, 1951 FLAMM 2,571,435

GAS FUELED CIGAR LIGHTER Filed June 11, 1949 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR.ALEXANDER L. FLAMM.

Man W ATTORNEYS Patented Oct. 16, 1951 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE2,571,435 GAS FUELED CIGAR LIGHTER Alexander L. Flamm, Bridgeport,Conn., assignor to Ronson Art Metal Works, Inc., Newark, N. J., acorporation of New Jersey Application June 11, 1949, Serial No. 98,465

8 Claims. 1

This invention relates to gas fueled cigar light ers and aims primarilyto provide a lighter of this type wherein a valve for controlling theflow of gaseous fuel to the burner and igniting mechanism of thepyrophoric type are so interconnected with the fingerpiece that facileand reliable ignition of the gas and extinction of the flame may bereadily obtained by the user. The gaseous fuel for the lighter iscarried within a container disposed in the lighter casing which isconstructed in such a manner that the container may readily be removedfrom thecasing for recharging purposes. The above and other features ofthe invention are more specifically referred to in the descriptionhereinafter contained which, taken in conjunction with the accompanyingdrawings, discloses a preferred form of gas fueled cigar lighterconstructed to operate in accordance with the invention; the disclosurehowever should be considered as merely illustrative of the invention inits broader aspects.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a vertical sectional view, with certain parts in elevation, ofa gas fueled cigar lighter constructed in accordance with the preferredform of the invention;

Fig. 2 is a plan view of the lighter shown in Fig. 1 with the top coverremoved;

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary perspective view showing the manner in which thelighter may be disassembled for recharge purposes; and

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary plan view with the fuel valve in a position tobe removed for recharge purposes.

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary central section taken through a fuel valvemechanism appropriate for use in the illustrated embodiment of theinvention.

The invention is disclosed in the drawings as applied to a lighterhaving a casing carrying the operating parts and constituted by an outerenclosing shell I surrounding a container 2, the latter having a filling3 of cotton or like fuel absorbent material and containing gaseous fuel,such as propane or butane, underpressure, which is to be ignited at theburner opening 4 after passing through a lift type valve mechanismhoused within the burner structure indicated generally at 5. This valvemechanism may be of the type described in my co-pending applicationSerial No. 74,771 for Gas Fueled Cigar Lighter, filed February 5, 1949,of which the present application is a continuation in part, and which isnow abandoned. The burner opening 4 passes through a T-shaped valve head6 which is reciprocably mounted such that when the valve head is in itslower position, as shown in Fig. 1, the valve is closed to shut off thesupply of fuel to the burner, and when the valve head is raised, thevalve is opened to admit fuel to the burner.

As shown in Fig. 5, the gaseous fuel in passing to;;;; the fuel valvemechanism, may flow first through a passageway 40 in the housing 5 ofthe burner structure and then through a pressure reducing diaphragm 4|having a small aperture 42. The fuel valve mechanism is shown as carriedwithin a shell 43, which is threaded into the housing 5, and to furtherreduce the pressure of the gaseous fuel on its way through the burnerstructure, preferably the following are employed: An apertured threadedplug 44 at the lower end of shell 33; an apertured cup member 45 aboveplug 44; an apertured disk 46 on cup 45; and an inverted apertured cupmember 41 above the disk 46, these parts 45 to 41 being clamped inposition within shell 43 by the threaded plug 44. -The valve head orplunger 6 is urged toward its lower closed position shown in Fig. 5, bya compression spring 48 so that a disk 49 on the lower face of valveplunger 6,

is urged toward seating engagement with a valve seat 50 carried by thecup member 41.

A depressible fingerpiece l is carried by a top wall 8, which latter isslidably engaged with shell I, and the fingerpiece is urged toward itsupper idle position shown in Fig. 1 by a compression spring 9 whichsurrounds a guide plunger l0 attached to the fingerpiece. A sparkingwheel II is rotatably mounted on an axle II also carried by the top wall8, and engages a flint I2 contained within a flint tube I3 in the usualmanner. To operate the sparking wheel II, the fingerpiece I is providedwith teeth l4 which engage toothed elements [5 rotatably mounted aboutthe axle l I, and when the fingerpiece is depressed, the sparking wheelwill be rotated through appropriate pawl and ratchet devices (notillustrated) to produce a stream of sparks.

In the form of the invention disclosed, the fingerpiece, sparking wheeland burner are mounted in a row near the top of the structure, with thefingerpiece and burner \on opposite sides of the sparking wheel andthese parts are so interconnected that the fuel valve is immediatelylifted to open it fully during the initial part of the downward movementof the fingerpiece, whereupon by a lost motion engagement between themoving parts, the fuel valve is held open during the remainder of thedownward stroke of the flngerpiece, during which time a stream of sparkscontinues to be projected toward the burner from the sparking wheel. Asshown, this coordination of movement of the operating parts is obtainedby means of a bell crank lever pivoted about the pin I6, the forked armsll of the lever engaging beneath the T-shaped head 6 of the valve, andthe arm M of the lever extending beneath the plunger III of theflngerpiece I in the manner shown in Fig. 1. Immediately upon thedepression of the flngerpiece 1, the bell crank lever will be rocked tolift the T-shaped head 6 and open the fuel valve, and as depression ofthe flngerpiece continues, the fuel valve will be held open by thesliding engagement of the arm ll of the bell crank lever along the sidewall of the plunger Ill. When manual pressure on the .fingerpiece I isreleased, it is restored by spring 9 to the position shown in Fig. 1,and simultaneously the bell crank lever is restored to the positionshown in Fig. 1 and the valve member 6 is closed, by the spring 48previously described.

In the form of the invention shown, the top plate 8 and container 2 andthe operating parts of the lighter carried thereon may be convenientlyremoved from the shell I and thereafter the container may be separatedfrom the top wall by reason of the construction of the fuel burner, thusfacilitating recharging of the container. As shown, a closure plate I9underlies the bottom wall of the container 2 and is fixedly secured tothe shell I as by brazing or soldering. The top wall 8 of the casing isseparately constructed and detachably secured to the outer shell bymeans of the flint tube ii, the upper end of which is soldered or brazedto the top plate while the lower end is threaded to receive the screw 2|which operates to clamp the flint tube to the closure plate 19 and thusmaintain the several elements of the casing in assembled condition.

The fuel container is detachably engaged with the top wall of the casingby means of a locking device comprising a fastening element 22projecting from the top surface of container 2 and which from the outershell, the T-shaped valve head i is rotatably, as well as reciprocably,mounted and may be turned from the position shown in Figs. 1 and 2 intothe position thereof shown in Fig. 4. Thus, to separate the containerfrom the top plate, it further is necessary only to disengage thelocking element 22 on the container from its associated locking spring23 disposed upon the top wall. When this is done, the container may beseparated from the top plate, the rotated T-shaped valve head 6 freelypassing between the forked arms I! of the bell crank lever and throughthe opening 28 provided for this purpose in the top wall.

A cover plate 25 of substantially dome-shape overlies the top wall ofthe casing and is shaped at one end thereof to accommodate thefingerpiece I, and also a closure cap 26, which latter is pivotallymounted on axle H, and carries the toothed elements l5, engaged by theteeth ll Ill on the flngerpiece. Thus, when the fingerplece isdepressed, the closure cap 26 is lifted upwardly to expose the burneropening 4, and when the fingerpiece is in its idle position, as shown inFig. 1, the cap 26 serves as a protective closure for the burneropening. The dome-shaped cover 25 may be secured to the top plate 8 ofthe easing by a screw 21 and is provided on its inner surface with guidepins, such as 24, which engage openings 24' in the top plate to properlyposition the cover thereon.

It further will be noted that the undersurface of the T-shaped valvehead 6 is provided with two lips 29 and 30 which are adapted to engagewithin corresponding slots 3| and 32 formed in the top surface of theforked arms of the bell crank lever when the valve head is in operativeengagement with the bell crank lever, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2. Forconvenience in rotating the valve head when it is desired to remove thecontainer for recharge purposes, a suitable tool 33 is provided withinthe casing and maintained therein by means of a suitable screw 34, theinterior of the tool being hollowed out in order that a series of extraflints, such as 35, may be stored therein. One manner in which the tool33 may be employed to rotate the T-shaped valve head 6 is illustrated inFig. 3 wherein the top cover is removed, the tool being moved from thesolid outline position thereof to the dot-dash outline position. It isto be understood, of course, that the T-shaped valve head 5 may beturned without removing the top cover simply by depressing thefingerpiece 1, thereby rotating the closure cap 26 to expose the valvehead and thereafter inserting the tool 33 vertically through the openingin the top cover to engage the valve head.

While the invention has been disclosed as carried out by a gas fueledlighter of the particular construction described above, it should beunderstood that changes may be made therein without departing from theinvention in its broader aspects within the scope of the appendedclaims.

I claim:

1. A gas fueled cigar lighter of the character described, including acasing having a top wall detachably engaged therein, a gas fuelcontainer disposed within said casing and detachably engaging with saidtop wall, said top wall carrying thereon a fingerpiece and a sparkingwheel, mechanism interconnecting said fingerpiece and wheel to rotatethe latter by the former, a fuel valve carried by said container,mechanism interconnecting said fingerpiece and said fuel valve foropening the latter upon actuation of said fingerpiece, a clamping memberextending between said top wall and another wall of said casing, andreleasable means for tensioning said clamping member to hold said topwall in operative position with respect to said casing and container,whereby said container, top plate, and the fingerpiece and sparkingwheel carried by the latter as aforesaid may be removed as a unit fromsaid casing upon the release of said tensioning means.

2. A gas fueled cigar lighter of the character described, including acasing having a separately constructed top wall, a gas fuel containerdisposed within said casing, said top wall carrying thereon afingerpiece and a sparking wheel, mechanism interconnecting saidfingerpiece and wheel to rotate the latter by the former, a fuel valvecarried by said container and having a fuel burner member exposedexteriorly of said top plate and adjacent said sparking wheel, said fuelburner member being reciprocable between positions wherein said fuelvalve is respectively open and closed, a lever interconnecting saidfingerpiece and said fuel burner member and operable upon actuation ofthe fingerpiece to re-- ciprocate the fuel burner member and open thevalve, and a clamping member one end of which is fixed to said top walland the other end of which is detachably secured to another wall of saidcasing whereby said top plate and the lighter elements carried thereonmay be removed from said casing upon detaching said clamping member fromsaid other wall of the casing.

3. A gas fueled cigar lighter of the character described, including acasing having a separately constructed top wall, said top wall carryingthereon a fingerpiece and sparking wheel and closure cap driven by thefingerpiece, a gas fuel .is respectively open and closed, mechanismincluding a lever interconnecting said fingerpiece and said fuel burnermember and operable upon actuation of the fingerpiece to expose the fuelburner member and reciprocate same and open the valve, and a flint tubeextending through said casing with the upper extremity thereof securedto said top wall and the lower extremity thereof I releasably secured toanother wall of said casing whereby said container, top plate and thefingerpiece, closure cap and sparking wheel carried thereby may beremoved as a unit from the casing upon the release of said flint tubefrom said other wall of the casing.

4. A gas fueled lighter of the character described including anenclosing casing-having top and side walls, an inner containerdetachably held within said casing and containing gaseous fuel underpressure, a burner projecting through the top wall of said casing andhaving a fuel valve of the plunger type housed within said burnerbetween the mouth of the burner and the fuel supply, a standardextending upwardly from the top wall of said casing adjacent the mouthof the burner, a sparking wheel rotatably carried by said standard, afingerpiece mounted upon the enclosing casing structure in spacedrelation to said sparking wheel to move between idle and activepositions, actuating members one of which is engaged with said fuelvalve and the other of which is in driving relation with said sparkingwheel, said actuating members being both in driven relation with saidfingerpiece thereby to rotate the wheel and also open the valve bymovement of the flngerpiece from idle to active position, saidfingerpiece, sparking wheel and actuating members being all carried bythe enclosing casing structure to remain initheir operative positionswith respect to each other and the parts of the casing upon which theyare mounted, when said inner container i removed from within saidcasing.

5. A gas fueled lighter of the character described including anenclosing casing having top and side walls, an inner containerdetachably held within said casing and containing gaseous fuel underpressure, a burner projecting through the top wall of said casing andhaving a fuel valve of the plunger type housed within said burnerbetween the mouth of the burner and the fuel supply, a standardextending upwardly from the top wall of said casing adjacent the mouthof the burner, a sparking wheel rotatably carried by said standard, afingerpiece mounted upon the enclosing casing structure in spacedrelation to said sparking wheel to move between idle and activepositions, actuating members one of which is engaged with said fuelvalve and the other of which is in driving relation with said sparkingwheel, said fingerpiece being positioned in laterally spaced relation tosaid inner container, said sparking wheel being located intermediatesaid fingerpiece and said burner, said actuating members being both indriven relation with said flngerpiece thereby to rotate the wheel andalso open the valve by movement of the fingerpiece from idle to activeposition, said valve actuating mcmber comprising a rocking leverextending between said fingerpiece and burner beneath the level of thesparking wheel, said fingerpiece. sparking wheel and actuating membersbeing all carried by the enclosing casing structure to remain in theiroperative positions with respect to each other and the parts of thecasing upon which they are mounted, when said inner container is removedfrom within said casing.

6. A gas fueled lighter of the character described including anenclosing casing having top and side walls, an inner containerdetachably held within said casing and containing gaseous fuel underpressure, a burner projecting through the top wall of said casing andhaving a fuel valve of the plunger type housed within said burnerbetween the mouth of the burner and the fuel supply, a standardextending upwardly from the top wall of said casing adjacent the mouthof the burner, a sparking wheel rotatably carried by said standard, afingerpiece mounted upon the enclosing casing structure in spacedrelation to said sparking wheel to move between idle and activepositions, actuating members one of which is engaged with said fuelvalve and the other of which is in driving relation with said sparkingwheel, said fingerpiece being recipro- 1 cably mounted in the top wallof said casing to move toward and from the latter, said sparking wheelbeing interposed between said fingerpiece and burner, said actuatingmembers being both in driven relation with said fingerpiece thereby torotate the wheel and also open the valve by movement of the fingerpiecefrom idle to active position, said sparking wheel actuating memberhaving toothed connection with the fingerpiece, said flngerpiece,sparking wheel and actuating members being all carried by the enclosingcasing structure to remain in their operative positions with respect toeach other and the parts of the casing upon which they are mounted, whensaid inner container is removed from within said casing.

7. A gas fueled lighter of the character described, comprising incombination a casing having therein a chamber constructed to holdgaseous fuel under pressure, a depressible fingerpiece, a sparkingwheel, and a fuel burner structure mounted in a row along the top wallof said casing with the burner protruding through said wall and thesparking wheel disposed intermediate'the fingerpiece and the burner,said burner structure having therein a valve member interposed betweenthe mouth of the burner and the fuel chamber to control the flow of fuelthrough the burner, said burner structure being reciprocable between anupper position wherein said fuel valve is open and a lower positionwherein said fuel valve is closed, means for mounting said finger-pieceto move between an upper idle position and a lower active position,mechanism interconnecting said fingerpiece and sparking wheel to rotatethe latter by the former, a flint tube extending upwardly through saidcasing to a point underneath said sparking wheel, and a rocking levermechanism underlying the fingerpiece and sparking wheel, said levermechanism having a portion extending into the path of downward movementof the flngerpiece, said lever mechanism also spanning said flint tubeand extending laterally to said burner structure, said lever mechanismrespectively engaging the fingerpiece and burner structure to lift thevalve of the burner structure to open position during the downwardmovement of the flngerpiece while the flngerpiece is actuating saidfirst abovementioned mechanism to rotate said sparking wheel asaforesaid.

8. A gas fueled cigar lighter of the character described, including acasin having therein a chamber constructed to contain gaseous fuel underpressure, a fuel burner structure extending through the top wall of saidcasing, said burner structure including a reciprocable fuel valveinterposed between the mouth of the burner and said chamber, a sparkingwheel, means for mounting said sparking wheel upon the top wall of saidcasing at one side of said burner structure, a depressible flngerpiece,means for reciprocably mounting said fingerpiece upon the top wall ofsaid casing to move between an upper idle position wherein saidvalve isclosed and a lower active position wherein said valve is open, a closurecap, means for mounting said sparking wheel, said lever mechanismextending from said fingerpiece past said sparking wheel to the fuelvalve and interconnecting the fingerpiece with said valve to open thelatter as the fingerpiece moves downwardly to actuate the firstabove-mentioned mechanism to rotate the sparking wheel and swing theclosure cap upwardly as aforesaid.

ALEXANDER L. FLAMM.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,961,577 Aronson June 5, 19342,153,432 Reich Apr. 4, 1939 2,482,794 Peterson Sept. 27, 1949 2,491,550Campos Dec. 20, 1949 2,495,345 Quercia et al Jan. 24, 1950 FOREIGNPATENTS Number Country Date 787,706 France July 8, 1935 815,729 FranceApr. 12, 1937 923,219 France Feb. 17, 1947

